


Three

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Family, Love Triangle, Multi, Pining, Spencer Is Popular, nanny - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-05-15 15:09:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19298248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: Three is always a crowd.





	1. Chapter 1

She sighed as the plane slowly taxied to the gate. Flying from England to the US had been boring, but Dora had filled her time by reading over the folder she’d been given about the new family she would be working for. It was a single father, the mother had recently passed away, and his four-year-old son. The thought of a boy losing his mother so young tugged at her heartstrings. The packet had told her the father had taken some time off, but his job hadn’t waited forever, and he needed someone to be there while he travelled for work. Dora flipped through the pages her boss had given her, there were notes from colleagues saying he was a devoted father and spent as much of his free time as he could with the boy. There weren’t details as to what the job he did was, just that it was for the government. But the photos she’d been given in the bundle made her think he was some official, there were a couple with him wearing a very fancy looking suit.

As the passengers unloaded from the plane, Dora brushed her black slacks and simple white shirt smooth, she’d stop in a bathroom on her way out and make sure the hours on the plane hadn’t messed up her straight brown hair too badly. Stop eventually made, she headed for the luggage area and the row of people holding signs for the ones they were meeting. She didn’t see a face that matched the one in the photo, which was odd. The message she’d gotten said he’d be picking her up personally. Crossing the open space, Dora then spotted her name on a sign, but the sign wasn’t held by a man in a suit or one of the number of hired drivers lining the way. It was held by a blonde woman wearing a dress covered in vibrant pink flowers on a white background and happy looking bumblebees. The colors of the flowers were picked up in the sweater she was wearing over her shoulders that did nothing to make the low neckline more modest, and as well as in the teetering wedges she had on her feet. The barrettes in her hair had bees bouncing around them and her glasses were the same vibrant pink. Dora made eye contact and the woman lit up even more, rushing forward toward her with amazing speed given her footwear.

“Dora Becket?”

“Um, yes.” She offered her hand but was swept up in a breath-stopping hug.

“Bossman wanted so bad to be the one to pick you up, but the team got a case and he had no choice and the poor man looked totally distraught at missing being here and I offered to just hack in and get the stewardesses let you know but he gave me that look he does, you’ll learn the one, and _then_ I offered to just pick you up and he got this nervous look and I think he was just going to send the team without him but then Rossi jumped in and told him it was a great idea and made me promise not to scare you so bad that you did a run back to England on the next flight because Bossman desperately needs someone he can depend on with Jack and…” She cut herself off mid-thought, her hand covering her mouth. “And I’m doing what he said not to do.”

Very little truly ever surprised Dora, she’d worked around people too many years for that, but this woman had definitely taken her by surprise.

“Oh! I’m Penelope. Garcia. You can call me either. Or Pen, or Penny, or just P. Hotch calls me Garcia unless he really needs me to focus or needs my attention.” Bending forward, Garcia collected her large bag from its spot on the floor by her feet and turned. “Let’s get your bags and then get you to the house.”

Following obediently, Dora collected her cases and let Penelope lead her through the parking garage to a vintage convertible. It was beautiful. “This is yours?”

Penelope’s grin grew as she nodded vigorously. “Uh-huh. Her name’s Esther. You like?”

“She’s beautiful.” She kept admiring the car as the cases were loaded into the trunk. Suddenly a pretty scarf appeared in her line of sight. “What’s this?” She watched as Penelope wrapped a second one around her own head.

“Just because we drive with the top down, does not mean we must look windblown.” Her voice took on a mock accent. “Now, come on, we mustn’t keep junior G-man waiting.”

They were out of the city before Dora finally turned in her seat. “So, you work for Mister Hotchner?”

“Yep.”

“As?”

“Oh! I’m on his team. I’m a technical analyst, but they’re in the air themselves right now and the computers are doing their thing, I have another techie babysitting them until I get back. My job is a bit portable, sometimes I bring my computers and look after Sir Jack, but my screens can be a dangerous thing for a little boy who’s been through so much.”

“Yeah, the file said his mum passed away recently. Had she been ill?” She was met with the blonde’s sudden silence and a wide-eyed look that lasted the rest of the drive. As soon as the car was in the assigned parking spot, a squeal sounded from a doorway and a little boy was rushing down the steps.

“Aunt Penny! Did you get her?” He bounced on his toes by the driver’s door until Garcia opened it, scooping him up.

“I sure did! Jack, this is Miss Dora, your new nanny. You’re going to be the best little boy ever for her, right? Just like we talked about?”

His head bounced up and down almost as vigorously as Garcia’s had earlier. “I will, Aunt Penny. Hi, I’m Jack.” He waved at the new woman.

“Hi Jack, it’s lovely to meet you.”

His eyes widened. “Your words sound funny!”

Dora couldn’t help but laugh, even as Penelope tried to tell the boy that wasn’t nice. “No, it’s okay. You’re right, they do sound funny. It’s because I’m from England.”

“Oh.” He turned to the blonde. “Is England on my map?”

Dora watched as she Pushed up out of the car, keeping ahold of him as they headed inside, greeting Jessica on the way. “No, Hon, England isn’t inside the USA.”

“Oh.” He wiggled to be let down and then took off.

Jessica chuckled as she watched him before turning to the other woman. “Hello, I’m Jessica. I’m Jack’s aunt. I’ll be around to help out, especially when Aaron’s out of town. That way you aren’t working around the clock. I do have to get to work though, but I will be back about six. I left the list of phone numbers on the fridge, I put mine and Penelope’s at the top. I think Aaron got you a cell phone already, but I’m not sure where he’s put it.”

“Oh, okay.”

“And I have to get back too.” Garcia joined in. “The kitchen is fully stocked; Jess and I both went shopping last weekend. I left you the Wi-Fi password as well as the alarm codes. Two blocks straight to the left is a big park with playgrounds, a walking trail that sort of thing and then to the right about half a mile is a strip mall with a grocery and things.” Garcia vanished out the door as well, returning with Dora’s bags. “Bossman has the guestroom set up as yours, I think Jack was making some pictures for you to decorate it with.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Sorry to have to dump and run.” She glanced at her watch. “But the team will be landing soon and I need to get back.” With that, Garcia vanished out the door.

Turning, Dora took in the space for the first time. It was a two story row home, bigger than it looked from the front. “Jack?” She began to wander through the house, wondering about her new job and the people it seemed to involve. The blonde, Penelope, was definitely…different and Jessica had seemed nice in the single moment she’d seen her. Dora found Jack in his room looking through a book. His room was covered, floor to ceiling, in super heroes. On one wall was a giant map of the USA with marker dots of all different colors on it.

“Hey, Jack. That’s a pretty cool map you have.”

The boy looked up. “Aunt Penny and Uncle Spence gave it to me. It shows me where Daddy goes.”

Dora nodded, sitting on his bed.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of the alarm beeping and then being turned off woke her. With a glance at the clock, Dora saw that it was the wee hours of the morning, nearly dawn. Jessica had stayed for dinner and bath but had gone home just after little Jack had gone to bed. Creeping out of her room, Dora peered toward the living room, there was a single lamp on now. In the half light, she could make out a tall, suited man dropping his things on the table. He looked exhausted as he let out a heavy sigh and headed for the liquor cabinet before pausing and turning toward the kitchen, instead pouring some of the orange juice from the fridge with one hand. Barely entering the room, she spoke up. “Mister Hotchner?”

He went rigid, turning on his heel before seeing her and instantly relaxing. From this angle, she could see his other arm was in a sling under his suit jacket. “Oh! You must be Dora, I’m so sorry I wasn’t at the airport to get you. I hope Penelope didn’t scare you too much.”

“She’s lovely. A little different.”

He smirked. “Just a bit.” He winced when he seemed to forget his injury and tried to lift his arm.

“Are you okay, Sir?”

“I’m fine. And, please, just Aaron or Hotch. Was Jack okay with you taking over so suddenly?”

“He was fine. It was his job to show me how to get to the park and the store, we had an adventure.”

“Good. I have a car for you, I’ll get you the keys.” He finished his juice and began to try and wash out the glass.

Seeing him struggle, Dora rushed forward. “Please, Mist… Aaron… I’ll do it. You’re injured and it’s late. Sit.” She waved him to the table. “Did you have dinner? Jack and I had mac and cheese and turkey sandwiches.”

“Yeah, I…” He trailed off. When he realized she was studying him, he ducked his head. “I have no idea when I last ate.”

She nodded, pulling out leftovers and making him a plate.

“You didn’t have to do this. You’re here for Jack.”

“My job, Aaron, is to care for Jack and sometimes that might mean caring for his father as well.”

==

After a morning of negotiations, Dora worked on cleaning the kitchen while Jack watched precisely two shows on TV. She was a big believer in kids being active, but since she was still new to the area, she gave in this once. Aaron had given her her new phone once they had all gotten up for breakfast and she saw that a list of numbers had already been programmed in, two names she recognized. Checking on Jack, she headed back to her room and pushed the door nearly shut before dialing.

“Office of supreme genius, speak mere mortal and I may grant your request!”

“Uh, is this Penelope?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“Dora. Jack’s new…” She was cut off.

“Dora! I’ll save this number for next time. What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you could give me some, you know, tips on things I should know? About Jack and… Aaron?”

“Things?”

Dora glanced out the gap in her door at Jack. “He came in after midnight with his arm in a sling and when I offered him dinner, he couldn’t remember eating… Look, I’ve worked for driven, business types before- what should I know?”

Garcia sighed. “Ah. You’re looking for the manual on the care and keeping of a Hotch.”

“A what?”

The blonde giggled. “The team is on emergency call-out only for a few days while his arm is in a sling, if you don’t mind cooking for more, I could stop by tonight?”

“Sure. Why did you call it that?”

“Call it what?”

“The care and keeping of a Hotch. It makes him sound like some sort of rare animal.”

“Yeah, well, he’s certainly one of a kind.” Dora could hear as Garcia shuffled something in the background. “I’ll give you a call later when I’ve pushed him out the door, and don’t worry if it’s too much to feed us adults, we’re pretty good at feeding ourselves, well, most of us are. Anyway, I’ll be by tonight.”

“Okay.” Dora bid her goodbye and hung on the phone. She still wasn’t sure what to make of the blonde, but she seemed plenty kind enough.

==

Hotch looked up when Garcia materialized in his office doorway. “Need something?”

“Just for you to go home.”

“I’m almost done.”

“No, you _are_ done. I spoke to Dora earlier.” He had a look of momentary confusion on his face. “Jack’s nanny?”

“Right, Dora, the nanny.”

“I’m coming to yours tonight for dinner.”

“You are?” He saw her nod. “Why?”

“Well, for a start Dora is in a brand new country and hasn’t made any friends yet. It takes time and she kind of hit the ground running with work.”

“You’re right.” He tried to shuffle files together one handed. “I was supposed to pick her up and give her a couple days to get used to the area before dropping her into everything and then that case came in and all that went out the window.” He drew a breath to keep going.

“Stop.” She cut him off. “Stop beating yourself up.” She waited for him to nod. “I told her I’d call as soon as I pushed you out the door.”

“Okay.”

==

Dora pulled the fish out of the oven and checked the time again; Penny had given her a thirty-minute heads up. The sound of the door opening and shutting again was expected, but the eruption of sound that was Jack exuberantly rushing to greet his father was not, bringing a surprised laugh out of her. “Jack, let your father put his things down.” She waited for the boy to back up. “Are your toys put away?”

Jack shook his head and took off again to his room.

“He been good today?” Hotch shifted his suit jacket off.

“A gem.” She saw him struggling. “Do you need some help?”

“No, it’s fine. Garcia should be here any minute.” He got out right before the doorbell rang. “That’s probably her.”

Dora opened the door to see the woman she’d already met. “Come in.”

The blonde stepped in just as Hotch was turning toward his room, trying to work the buttons on his shirt one handed. “Hotch, come here.” She gave an exasperated sigh, taking over the task without so much as a question before shooing him away. “So, dinner?”

“I made fish, there should be enough for all of us.”

==

Hotch had vanished to read Jack his bedtime story as the two women settled onto the couch. “So, what do I need to know?” Dora finally asked. She’d watched her new friend all evening, the way she just handled not only the young boy, but his father too, nudging his briefcase to a place where it wouldn’t be a constant reminder of work, automatically putting seconds on his plate, knowing he would be a good example to his son and clear it, and all the little moments of familiarity when she simply shored him up a bit.

“For a start, his arm? He was stabbed in the shoulder, they were worried about permanent damage, don’t know if that’s still up in the air or not. He isn’t supposed to be using it or stressing it at _all,_ but we all know that isn’t going to happen, so we just try and limit opportunity.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize his job was so dangerous.”

“You don’t know?”

“Know?”

“They, we, go after the real baddies, murderers and serial killers and stuff. We can go weeks in the office having an almost normal schedule, most of what we do is help remotely, and then we’ll get a case and we’re, they’re, gone in a heartbeat and they don’t turn off until it’s over. When they’re on a case they all miss meals and sleep but Hotch? He’s by far the worst. I think he always has been. I mean, Reid can sleep, like, anywhere, that boy has mastered the art of a nap, and Rossi knows when to call it a night. The others kind of take it in shifts.”

“Oh.” She thought a minute. “Will I be meeting the rest of the team?”

“Probably, eventually. We’re all family but we really work hard to make sure Hotch gets as much time with Jack as we can force him into, so things he would normally be included in sometimes we leave him out.” Penelope leaned across and patted her arm. “He’ll get bristly sometimes and downright dour on occasion, but don’t let him scare you off.”

“Okay.”


	3. Chapter 3

Dora had kept playing over the conversation with Penelope over the days and weeks that followed. As he grew more frustrated with his temporary limitations, her boss’s mood grew worse, though it was never aimed at she or Jack. It was like a perpetual black cloud hung over him.

She’d planned to make a few comfort foods to see if that would help, but before the plan could be executed, the team was called away in the middle of the night to fly out of state, Aaron had knocked on her door and let her know he was headed to Texas, and they didn’t come back for almost a week.

Six days after the midnight departure, Garcia called and said the team was coming home, that was the last Dora heard until the front door opened just after Jack had dropped off to sleep.

“Dora?”

“Yes, Sir.” She appeared from her room, gasping at the sight of the other man hanging off her boss’s good shoulder, looking beaten and in pain. “Oh! What happened?” She rushed to help Aaron’s one-handed attempts to manage the gangly man to the couch.

“Unsub got the drop on him.”

“What?”

“The bad guy we were chasing, hid on the top of a container in a storage yard and jumped down on him, gave him a hell of a beating.”

The man, now draped across the couch, moaned.

“He’s in pain.” She observed.

“He can’t have any strong pain meds and he’s already had the other stuff; I can’t do anything more for him.” She caught him wince in pain.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s heavier than he looks. Morgan and Dave got him on and off the jet, but Dave’s house is being renovated and Morgan only has a one bedroom and I…. I seriously forgot you were here…” His words slowed down. “I was going to put him in the guest bedroom. Shit.”

“Let me clean him up and look him over and then we’ll see about moving him.” She caught his arched brow. “I had medical training classes, remember? Show me the worst injuries.” She gestured to the still unnamed man. As they undressed him, she caught sight of the healed track marks on his arm and frowned, no wonder he couldn’t have reasonable pain management. Together, they cleaned him up and set about shifting him to the guest bedroom.

“Now where will you sleep?” Dora watched her boss stare down at the sleeping man.

“A night on the couch won’t hurt me.”

He tried to move his arm and hissed.

“Go get your shirt off and let me make sure you haven’t really hurt yourself with your heroics.” She shooed him away. “Call for me when you’re ready.” Ten minutes later, Dora was getting her first look at the scars littering Aaron’s body.

==

Dora was entertaining Jack with stories of England when the agent appeared in the doorway of the kitchen the following morning. She caught him hesitating, assessing the room. Aaron was at the stove making a large batch of scrambled eggs, joining in on the conversation here and there about his own trips abroad. Jack was sitting at the counter jabbering as she moved between the two, pouring coffee and milk into mugs.

“Morning.” Aaron greeted warmly.

The younger man’s eyes moved back to his boss. “Morning.”

Dora crossed the room. “How are you doing now? Anything still hurt more than the rest?”

“Uhh, no, I’m fine.”

She gave an exasperated look but left it, returning to her task. “I’m Dora, by the way.”

“Oh, yeah, Spencer…Reid. I forgot, Jack’s nanny.”

“You forgot?” Aaron asked, brow arching.

He just shrugged one shoulder.

“Hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Sit.” Hotch pointed to a chair with a spatula before piling a plate high with food.

Dora watched her boss, how much attention he paid to caring for Spencer, which seemed to be directly contrasting to how much attention he paid to himself. No wonder Penny called it what she did.

“That’s too much, Hotch!” Spencer gaped at the food. “I’ll never eat all that.”

“You will.”

Spencer pouted his lower lip out slightly but changed the subject. “After this I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Not till Monday.”

“What? But it’s only Friday.” Dora heard his voice go up half an octave.

“And I want to make sure you don’t overdo it until you’re on your way to healing.”

“That’s a bit of a double standard, isn’t it?”

“What?” Aaron was turned completely away from the stove now.

Dora couldn’t help the snicker that slipped out.

“You were back in the office under twelve hours after having major muscles in your arm damaged. I know it’s not your dominant arm, but it’s still the arm you most often shoot with and ignoring the severity of that would all but end your ability to use that arm. I got beat up. Hotch, I’ve been getting beaten up for two decades, I’m fairly used to it now. I’m perfectly okay to be at home on my own.”

There was a moment of silence as Hotch was staring at his hands. When he finally spoke his voice was low, soft and laced with concern. “And if the pain gets worse? Or the nightmares start up?” His eyes met Spencer’s and then dipped to the younger man’s arm. “Will you be okay then?”

They all paused, Dora was unsure what it was that’d suddenly shifted, but there was a look in Aaron’s eyes as he looked at his teammate, something that made the younger made pause as well.

“I- Is…is that why you’re worried?” He paused, waiting for an answer that didn’t come. “I- I don’t know what I can say, Hotch, to help you understand, I’ve worked really hard to put that all behind me. I didn’t like who I was, and I don’t want to go back, and no injury or nightmare is going to change that… Okay?”

It took Aaron a moment to respond, nodded when he finally did. “Okay.”

“Good. Now. You’re burning the eggs.”

Aaron whirled around, swearing under his breath.

==

After breakfast was over and Jack had been dropped at preschool, Dora returned home to find that only one man was there, perched, for a lack of a better description, on the arm of the couch with a book in his lap. “Hey.” He looked up when she stepped into the room.

“Hi. How are you doing? I looked over your bruises and things last night.”

“I’m okay. The ones on my back smart when I bend… or twist… or breathe really… But I’m okay.”

She gave him an exasperated look. “You don’t need to be the hero for me.” She caught the cover of his book as he shifted and slid down onto the couch cushion. “Is that one good?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! I just started the series yesterday morning and found it quite interesting, so I found all the books while we were away and picked them up.”

“But aren’t there like five books so far?”

“Um, six, yeah.”

“And you’ve read them all? Since yesterday morning?”

Reid blushed. “I…read fast?”

Dora giggled. “Where did Aaron get himself off to?”

“Work.”

“Ah, and he left you here all on your own today?” She sat beside him.

“I guess. Well, technically he left me here with you.”

“That he did. So, Spencer who is used to being beaten up, tell me a bit about yourself.”

He smiled again, putting the book aside. “I’m from Vegas originally.”

“So, which are you? The card counter or the avid avoider?”

That made him laugh. “Card counter, I have a very impressive reputation.”

“Nice, a bad boy. So where are all the throngs of ladies throwing themselves at you as you save them from certain harm then?”

“I have never had that. This might come as a surprise to you, but historically, women have been more likely to throw a hard object at me than themselves.”

“Well, that’s a shame.”


	4. Chapter 4

After Spencer’s stay, Aaron healed, and the household’s routines settled in. Dora’s days were spent with Jack, going to play groups and playdates or to parks or museums, that was, unless Jessica had a day off. Two days a week, her boss’s ex-sister-in-law turned up and took over, giving Dora the day to herself.

She found that Penny would take a long lunch if she could on those days and meet up with her or would try and get off early so they could go out. It was during the nights out that she’d met JJ and Emily, women who came across as dangerous underneath their genial exteriors. In the evenings, Aaron came home and took over almost immediately as full on Dad with Jack, he would step in and make sure Jack ate and cleaned up, he would bathe him and put him to bed, it was almost seamless in their handover. After the boy was sound asleep, the father would finally shed his suit and slump into his desk chair, head in his hand as he returned to his paperwork.

Dora would linger around on those nights, being sure that a mug of tea would find its way to his hand along with a plate of jammy dodgers, it had been a guess that her boss might like them, and she’d been delighted to discover she was right. She’d then come along later and remind him of the time, talking to him until he shifted gears, yawning before admitting he was tired. Only then, would Dora finally retire to her own room.

“Dora.” He spoke one evening as she was just leaving the room. When she turned back, he was staring at the biscuit. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know.”

“You’re here for Jack.”

“Making sure Jack’s father is well rested is for Jack.” She wasn’t certain in the dim lamplight, but it looked like he blushed.

“Well… Thank you.”

“Goodnight, Aaron.”

“Goodnight.”

==

Two months after their weekend guest, Dora stared up at a house as Aaron pulled onto the drive. “He lives here?” They were at Rossi’s place for a team family evening and Dora had been told, her presence was expected.

“Yeah, he has family money plus his pension and then he wrote a few books that sold well.” He parked the SUV and climbed out, fetching Jack.

“It’s lovely.”

Jack shot past them into the house. “Jack!” Hotch tried before giving up. “You should see the inside.”

The inside was more than she could’ve imagined. There was a wall of nothing but books, Spencer was over there skimming one, and there was an open area where Jack and JJ’s son were already playing and laughter was coming from a room beyond them, the kitchen she discovered.

“Welcome!” An older man with a goatee greeted her. “You must be Dora, I’ve heard tons about you.”

“Thank you, I’m sure he’s just being kind.”

“Oh, I didn’t hear it from Aaron, he doesn’t talk about anything.” His words brought laughter from the others. “I heard all about you from these three.” He gestured to the women. “And if they approve, I approve.”

“Approve?”

“Well, we can’t have just anyone looking after our Jack, now can we?”

“No, I suppose not.” She was confused and glanced toward the women she’d already met.

“I’m Dave, by the way and I think the only other person you haven’t met here is Morgan.”

She shook the darker man’s hand. “Good to finally meet you all.”

“Wine?” Rossi asked.

She glanced to Jack. “I’m…”

“Off duty.” Aaron jumped in. “This is a night to enjoy ourselves.” He turned to back track his way to Reid’s side, speaking softly in his ear and making the younger man look up with a bright smile.

Dora looked around over her wine glass, but no one seemed to pay the two men by the bookcase any mind. Several minutes into her observations of the group, a hand touching her arm made her startle. “Oh!”

Reid chuckled. “Sorry, you were in your own little world.” He tipped his head a bit closer. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too.” She met his eyes, a soft blush warming her neck. “How are you doing?”

“Back to myself, I’ve learned to stay away from things people could jump onto me from.” He smiled as she giggled. “Has anyone shown you around?”

“No, we just arrived.”

He gently touched her arm. “Come on, there’s something I think you’ll love.”

“But won’t…” She glanced around the room.

“Rossi won’t mind, and dinner won’t be for a couple hours.” His hand slipped down, and he took hers, leading her out back across the yard.

Inside the house, JJ watched through the window. “Our Spence is growing up.”

“What?” Emily and Penelope crowded in to see what she was seeing. “Aww.”

Hotch wandered over with a drink in his hand. “What are you looking at?”

JJ turned to him, smiling. “I think Spence likes Dora.” The trio giggled and walked away, leaving Hotch to watch alone through the window as Reid smiled and spoke, making her giggle, leaning close to him. He couldn’t help his frown.

Out in the garden, Dora took a seat in the swing beside Spencer. “It’s nice that you all get together like this.”

“Yeah, it’s… For a lot of us, family isn’t something we have a lot of. I mean, Morgan has his mom and he has sisters but really, the rest of us don’t have family we’re close to. And Jack… I think we’re all motivated by our own personal reasons, but we don’t want him to grow up feeling like he’s all alone in the world.”

“That’s nice, he’s a sweet boy. Clever.”

“He takes after his dad.” He smirked as she giggled in agreement. “How are you settling in here? Are you finding your way around?”

“I am doing better. With any job I take, there’s a certain amount of adjustment, that’s pretty much the same anywhere. So long as I don’t end up with any more agents crashing my space because of injuries, I think it’ll carry on well.”

Spencer’s ears pinked up. “Sorry about that.” Glancing around the garden to be sure they were still alone, he rubbed him palms on his pants. “But what about, what about if an agent crashed your space to just visit?”

“Oh. I- I guess I would like that.”

“And if he crashed your space and wanted to… take you for dinner?”

Her eyes met his. “I think I just might like that too.”


	5. Chapter 5

Three days later, Dora was brushing her hair while Jack chattered from her bed. She and Spencer were going out to dinner, _a date_ she kept mentally squealing. The doorbell ringing made her check herself over once more before going and letting him in. “Aaron isn’t home yet, so if you could just give me a minute?”

“Yeah, sure.” He smiled as Jack rushed him, hugging his legs. “Hey, Jack!”

“Are you here to play with me?”

“Not tonight.” She watched as he knelt down, a slight wince as he did. “Your Daddy will be home in a bit and then I’m going to go have dinner with Miss Dora.”

Jack’s lower lip pushed out into a pout. “But we can have mac and cheese.”

“Maybe another night.”

Dora slipped on her shoes as she glanced out the window, noticing a familiar SUV pulling up. “There he is.” She headed back to her room for her bag, leaving Spencer alone in the living room as Hotch stepped in.

“Reid.” He nodded, dropping his things.

“Hotch.” Spencer felt himself twitch nervously.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Dora reappeared, threading her hand through Spencer’s arm. She glanced back to her boss. “There is dinner in the oven and I promise not to be out too late.” With a quick kiss to her little charge goodnight, the pair left.

Standing at the door as they climbed into Reid’s car, Aaron frowned, watching the relaxed way his agent was with the nanny.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Jack.” His attention turned to his son.

“Does Uncle Spencer like Miss Dora?”

“Maybe, you’d have to ask him that.”

Jack’s small brows knitted together. “Okay.”

==

“Reid.” Hotch called from his office doorway several weeks later.

“Yeah, Hotch?” The younger man bounded up the steps.

“I know it’s last minute, but I was wondering if you had plans tonight?”

“Uh, no. Why?”

“We’re having a movie night and…” He swallowed. “And I wondered if you would like to join us?”

“Oh.” He thought a moment, surprised the invitation was from his boss and not Dora, but maybe she wasn’t comfortable inviting him over into Hotch’s home. “Sure, yeah. That sounds fun.”

“Good.” He let out his breath. “See you at seven?”

“Yeah, see you then.”

==

Dora listened from the next room as Aaron moved his son through the process of getting ready. She heard him offering help each step of the way. “Do you need help with your shoes, Jack?”

The little boy scrambled onto the couch beside him, offering his shoes and his feet to his father. “Am I going to like the movie?”

“I think so.” His tone turned conspiratorial. “And I bet Miss Dora will take you for ice cream after if you’re good.”

“I can be good!”

Dora came in just as Jack’s shoes were done. “It’s almost six thirty, don’t want to be late. Let’s get going, Jack.” She turned to her boss. “Are you sure you don’t want to go with us?”

“I have a lot of work to do, I’ll just order dinner in. You two go have fun.” He held the door, waving back to his son when he waved from the back seat.

Once alone, Aaron dialed the Chinese place and placed an order and began setting up the living room for movie night.

Half an hour later, cartons of food were on the table and a movie was waiting in the player as the doorbell rang. Taking a fortifying breath, Aaron opened the door. “Hey, Reid, come in.”

Spencer stepped in and looked around, not hearing the sounds of any other people inside. “Where’s everyone?”

“Oh, they, uh, they decided at the last minute to change plans, I figured you were already on your way, so I didn’t want you to turn around halfway. I have Chinese and a movie, we can still hang out?”

“Oh.” He was a little disappointed that Dora wasn’t going to be there. “Yeah, sure. That’s fine.” He followed his boss into the next room and followed his lead making a plate of food and grabbing a beer before they both sat down on the sofa.

As the movie played, Hotch got up once to take their plates away, refreshing their beers, and then again later simply to refresh them again. After his second return, he took a seat closer to Spencer, letting one arm fall along the back of the couch.

Spencer wasn’t sure what to make of the whole evening, it had started out okay, but as Hotch had gotten closer, the feel of the evening had gotten odder. When his boss’s hand began to stroke the ends of his hair, he decided it was time to call it a night. “Thanks for dinner, Hotch, it was… It was nice.” He hurried to the door.

“Spencer.” He stopped him before he left. “You know, you are allowed to call me Aaron away from work.”

“I- Okay…Aaron.” He climbed in his car and vanished into the night only moments before another car pulled into the drive from the other direction, Dora and Jack climbing out.

“Did someone come over?” She asked as she climbed the front steps.

Aaron simply shrugged. “Work stuff.” As he let them both in a shut the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Spencer hadn’t wanted Dora to feel bad about missing out on the surprise of him showing up to movie night, so he never brought it up. They found other times to go one dates, just the two of them, but each time they did, he noted that Hotch wasn’t as open and friendly as he’d been the night of the movie.

Dora gave him a small smile when he took her hand as he walked her to the door, tugging her close. “I really like spending time with you.”

“Me too.” She stepped up one step so they were closer to eye to eye. “I wasn’t really looking to find a guy while I was here, I usually swear off men while I’m on a job, but…” She blushed. “I just couldn’t help it.”

He grinned, a blush creeping up his neck. “I couldn’t help it either.” Cupping one cheek with his hand, he pulled her close, brushing their lips together. After a moment, she pulled him close again, deepening the kiss. When they broke apart finally, Spencer brushed a kiss to her cheek. “I had a great time with you, I’ll text you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Dora let herself in the front door, startled slightly to see her boss sitting in the living room. “Oh! Hotch!” She chuckled. “I wasn’t aware you were still up.” She took in the upset look on his face. “Has something happened with Jack?”

“No, Jack’s fine.” He didn’t say anything more.

“Okay, well, he’ll have me up with the birds, so I best be getting to bed.” She locked the door and vanished to her room.

In the living room, Aaron stewed. Spencer used to smile and blush and things _he_ said, _he_ did. But he wasn’t ready to give up just yet, he just had to remind the younger man of the way things had been before Dora came along. And if that didn’t work, well, he’d simply tell the agency the arrangement wasn’t working out.

==

A few more dates and Dora invited Spencer over for dinner. She knew he got on well with Jack and she knew he and her boss were friends, but something about the evening had been a bit…odd.

As the meal was being assembled, instead of taking time to be with his son, or just sitting at the counter, her boss had managed to insert himself into the process of meal making. When she handed Spencer vegetables to chop, he’d jumped in to help by stirring the sauce. Soon enough, Dora found herself moving around the pair as she got the rest of the meal ready, watching as the two worked seamlessly side by side.

“Here, see if it’s okay.” She heard her boss instruct in a soft tone, turning just in time to see him offer up some of the sauce on a wooden spoon, a hand under it to catch and drips.

Without seeming to give it much thought, Spencer leaned in, tasking it with a pleased hum. “So good.”

Dora saw the way Aaron watched the way the younger man’s mouth wrapped around the end of the spoon and the look of pleasure on his face. “I’m glad you like it.” He replied softly.

“Is it ready?” Dora popped in, breaking whatever moment had been happening. It seemed oddly close for just friends and colleagues, but she wasn’t sure if it was something worth bringing up to Spencer.

“Yeah.” Spencer turned to her. “And it tastes great.” He gave her a big smile.

“Thanks.” She took the rest of the vegetables from him and added them to the salad before setting it on the table. As he followed her into the next room, Aaron turned and watched them go with a frown.

After dinner was over, Hotch disappeared upstairs to get Jack ready for bed and the remaining two cleared up. “So, Spencer.” She started, nervously. “I don’t want you to think me too forward, but…” She huffed out a chuckle. “I’m off tomorrow, Jessica is picking up Jack to do a family thing, so I’m blessed with an extra day.” She met his gaze.

“No, it’s ah.” He chuckled and blushed. “It’s not forward at all. If you wanted, we, you- you could come back to my place? We wouldn’t, we wouldn’t have to do anything but maybe it would be nice, laid back, just you and me?”

“I think it sounds like a wonderful idea, let me grab a bag.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” She left him in the living room alone.

From her room, she could hear as Aaron reappeared and spoke. “Jack’s all tucked in. Are you staying for dessert?”

“No, ah, we’re headed back to my place for the night.”

“Really?”

“She said she wasn’t needed here for Jack tomorrow.”

“Oh, no, Jess is taking him to a family thing.”

Spencer was nodding and smiling when Dora appeared. “Ready?”

Dora patted her bag. “All set.”

==

Dora was curled into Spencer’s side the next morning as he stretched out, light filtering through the bedroom window brought out the colors in his hair. They hadn’t done anything more than cuddling and some kissing, but the night, it had been wonderful. She rolled over finally, blinking up at him as he leaned down, pecking a kiss to her lips. “Good morning.” He murmured.

 “Good morning.” She rolled further until her head was propped on his chest. “I’m glad I came.”

“I’m glad you came too.”

“Is it…” She trailed off a moment in thought. “Is it weird that I feel like this is going somewhere more than just casual dating?”

“You do?”

“Shouldn’t I?”

“Oh,no!” He chuckled. “That’s not how I meant that to sound. I’m just not used to women looking for more than casual, usually they tire of me pretty quickly.”

“Well.” She crawled up so they were nose to nose. “I’m not tiring of you in the least.” She pressed their lips together, opening when his tongue licked her lower lip and then, when hands on her hips guided her, she moved so she was fully on top of him. His hands wandered, eventually finding their way to flesh as he began to rock slightly under her. “Spencer?” She pulled back, questioning.

“We- we don’t have to…But…we could?” He didn’t say anything more, but she could see the open look of want in his face.

Dora gave it a thought. “I think it sounds like a wonderful idea.”


	7. Chapter 7

The team was at a bar after a hard case, still in California. It had been two months since Dora had started spending nights off at Spencer’s, provided he was home, which Aaron had begun going out of his way to prevent as often as possible. He suspected the scotch was a bit watered down, but it didn’t stop him from waving down another each time his glass was empty. The rest of the team was dancing, having a good time, unwinding, but he was brooding. He had to get Spencer back, he thought to himself as he began to list to the side. Just then, the young man himself appeared beside him. “Reid?” He forced out.

“Are you okay?” The younger man asked, taking in how bad his boss looked.

“I could use some air.” He moved to stand up, stumbling over his own feet. Hands steadied him.

“Hotch, wait, let me help you. I’ll tell the others we’re walking back to the hotel.”

“No.” Then his brain caught up, the two of them, alone headed back to the hotel, perhaps this would work after all. “Okay.”

With a nod, Spencer moved to tell JJ they were headed out before he gathered his boss and helped him out the door. “What’s eating at you, it’s not like you to drink like this while we’re out of town.”

“Having a hard time, I guess.” He let himself stumble to the side, leaning into Spencer. Around the next corner, Aaron saw opportunity. Stumbling against the brick, he naturally took Reid, who had ahold of his arm, with him, pulling him in until they were pulled together. Not missing a beat, Aaron cupped Spencer’s head and drew him into a sloppy kiss, carrying on even as the younger man stilled and then started to try and push him back. He shifted his hold, pulling the younger man’s body flush to his.

Spencer continued to struggle, finally wrenching his mouth away. “Hotch! What the hell?” He managed to stumble back, panting and staring up at his boss and friend. “Why…?”

Hotch didn’t say a word, breathing hard as he let his head fall back against the wall. Squeezing his eyes shut, he lifted his head and smacked it back again, savoring the hard thud. His breath caught and for a moment he wondered if he would ever breathe again, but a moment later he remembered Spencer was waiting for an answer and stood, pushing off the wall and stumbling across the walkway in an attempt to get back to the hotel under his own steam.

“Wait, Hotch!” Despite his confusion, Spencer did his best to catch the larger man and stop him from injuring himself. “Are you okay?” He echoed his own question from the bar.

“I…” He shook his head.

“Come on, let’s get you back.” Leaving the kiss for now, he led the way back to the hotel, patting Hotch down for a key card and then letting them both into his room. “Some water and sleep.”

“Sure.” He collapsed onto the bed, not caring about his clothes or shoes. He had just dozed off when he was nudged awake again to drink a glass of water.

Once he figured Hotch was asleep, Spencer sank into the chair with a huff. “I don’t understand…”

==

The room was dark when Aaron rolled over with a groan. He couldn’t remember yet how he’d gotten back to the hotel and, frankly, he wasn’t really in a position to care. Instead, he rolled off the bed and stumbled to the bathroom, pouring a drinking a glass of water before returning. Hot, he shed his clothes, it was too late, or too early perhaps, to bother with pajamas, so he stripped to his boxers and fell back onto the bed.

When he woke again, his head was pounding, but somewhere in his foggy mind, he became aware he wasn’t alone. Shifting closer, he nuzzled into a head of soft curls and smiled. Another shift and he was shoulder to hip, rocking forward as he placed kisses along the curve of the person’s neck. The smell of the person’s shampoo caught his attention and he hummed in approval, waking the other up.

“Hotch.” Spencer spoke sharply, rolling away and turning to stand by the bed looking down. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Wha-what?”

Spencer’s eyes narrowed, his mind trying to get the pieces to fall together, but he couldn’t work out just how big the puzzle was.

“Look, I’m sorry, Spencer, it won’t ever happen again.” He pushed up to a sitting position, eyes downcast in embarrassment. “I have no idea how much I drank last night.” He shook his head, wincing as it began to throb in earnest. “Last thing I remember is sitting at the bar with the team.” It wasn’t the complete truth; he did remember his poor attempt as trying to kiss the younger man. “I didn’t realize it was you beside me and whatever…whatever happened last night, I’m sorry.”


	8. Chapter 8

Neither man spoke about it any further and as the weeks ticked by, Spencer did his best to put it out of his mind. Dora had continued to come to his place on her evenings off and, for the most part, Spencer managed to keep his run-ins with his boss out of work hours to a minimum.

A weekend came several months later, where the team knew that Hotch and Morgan were leaving for several days to handle a prison interview. Seizing the opportunity, he made plans with Dora. She would have Jack Friday night, but Jess had already scheduled taking the young boy to visit family out of state to following day, so shortly after Aunt and Nephew left on Saturday, Spencer headed to spend time with Dora.

“If this is too weird, we can go to your place.” She stated as she let him in.

“Weird?”

“Well, it _is_ technically your boss’s house.” She guided him to the kitchen where she’d prepared lunch. “Speaking of, is it normal that he does these interviews? It just sounds like something the boss would pass down.”

“No, yeah, we all take turns. Sometimes an offender will request one of us, and then we have to assess their potential motives, but sometimes we go either because we already have rapport established with them or because someone else does and we need a fresh set of eyes.”

“Oh. So, which is it this time?”

“The person they’re scheduled to interview has a good rapport with Morgan, but the whole case left him a bit concerned, so when the interview came up, he asked for fresh eyes. They’re being held in the same facility as another prisoner from years ago and Hotch figured he could take the opportunity after to try and speak to him.”

Dora nodded, filing it away in case she needed it later. “I made those sandwiches you liked last time annnd…” She drew out, pulling a container from the fridge. “These.” She held out strawberries carefully dipped in a thick layer of chocolate. “I know you mentioned it once before, you said you thought this was the most romantic snack.”

His eyes lit up as he started on a tangent of the history of romantic foods, making her laugh and they sat down to eat.

==

Dora giggled as Spencer trailed a half bitten strawberry along her back, leaving a trail if juice behind that he leaned in and licked away.  “You truly are amazing.” She felt him murmur into her flesh.

“And now I smell of strawberries and chocolate.” She smiled softly, twisting so she could catch his lips with hers.

He rocked against her, they were both naked on her bed, sheets kicked somewhere at the end as he straddled her hips. He rocked again, and she could feel how much he was starting to harden again. “You smell truly amazing as well. You smell like strawberries.” He kissed her again before nosing into her hair. “And chocolate.” She felt one hand snake down as he began to stroke his cock, he shifted, continuing the kisses along her spine. She smiled over her shoulder, watching out of the corner of her eye as he sat back up, turning slightly before jolting with a shout. Before she could work out what had happened, he was clambering off the bed, shielding himself from view as best as he could with one hand.

Dora began to push up, turning to see what had Spencer so startled, but with his free hand, he pressed her back into the bed. “What?”

By the time she realized her, their, boss was standing in the hallway outside her room, Spencer had yanked the blanket off her bed to cover himself as he glared at the older man. “What the hell?” She heard him shout in an accusing tone. “How are you even back yet?”

Aaron’s face was in shadow from where she lay, but Dora could hear the sneer in his voice. “Why? Am I ruining your fun as you play house in _my_ home?” There were heavy footfalls as her boss vanished up the stairs, followed by the sound of Spencer following after. “Go away, Reid! And get out of my house!”

“Reid? It’s Reid now?”

“Did you have fun fucking around in my house? Have you been playing family using my son?” Dora could hear him clearly, even from the floor below. “Do you even get it?” She scrambled to at least appear presentable, concerned about what was about to go down between the two men upstairs.

There was a pause before Dora heard Spencer ask. “Get what?” Another, longer, pause and then the sound of the blanket dragging on carpet before his voice seemed to get slight further away. “Get what, Aaron?”

Dora raced silently up the stairs. She had no idea what was happening between them but had a feeling that neither were the type to back down.

There was a threatening growl, she wasn’t sure from whom, and then heavy footsteps moving quickly. Dora made it to the doorway of the master bedroom just in time to see her boss, arms boxing her boyfriend against the wall as he kissed him soundly. It was angry, possessive, and even from where she was standing was clearly the result of year of pent up feelings. She was speechless.

After what felt like an eternity, she saw Spencer shove hard, pushing Aaron back with a grunt as they both panted. As they separated, the blanket fell to the ground, leaving Spencer exposed. “I don’t get you.” He stated, breathlessly.

“I can’t stand seeing you with Dora.”

“What?!”

“I think I’m in love with you. Before her we were so…comfortable together, you and I. Our dinners, our talks.” He swallowed visibly. “I thought we were going somewhere.”

“We were friends, Hotch. Just friends.” There was a pained look on the older man’s face as he spoke. “You never said anything.”

“I was scared!” Aaron shouted, lifting his hands to his face in frustration.

“So, you decided to do this? After I was with someone else?”

“I…” Dora heard him sigh. “I realized I was running out of time. I wanted you to _see me_.”

“Bloody hell.” It slipped out of her mouth before she realized it, making both men suddenly aware of her presence. It also seemed to make Spencer remember that he was naked as he bent and grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around his waist properly.

“Dora.” The younger man started. “I swear, I didn’t…” He waved toward Aaron, unsure how to go on.

“Look, Spencer, I really like you, I think we’re good together and all, but this?” She waved at them. “I’m not about to step between whatever has clearly been going on between the two of you.” She caught the way her boss hung his head in shame and the way he kept glancing at Spencer. “Jack isn’t due back until Monday, so I’m going to go downstairs and pack a bag and I think I’ll do a bit of sightseeing for the weekend.” When Spencer moved to step toward her, she shook her head. “You two talk, we’ll talk when I get back.” With that, she headed back downstairs, keenly aware of the silence upstairs as she gathered some things and left.

==

Neither man moved nor spoke until the front door closed.

“I’m sorry.” Hotch whispered once they were truly alone.

Whirling on his heel, Spencer glared at him with stormy eyes. “Fuck you, Hotch.” Turning again, he stormed back down to Dora’s room and began collecting his clothes to leave. Fully dressed he moved to leave only to find Hotch, again, in her doorway, this time with a much different look on his face.

“I… I’ll talk to Dora, let her know her job isn’t at risk or anything. She’s good with Jack and…” He huffed. “Been good for me too, I guess. I’ll tell her I’m sorry and this was in no way something she should hold against you.”

Spencer’d had to almost lean in to listen, compared to the shouting from before, Aaron’s voice was almost too soft now. He was pissed, but something in his mind wanted to know. “How long?”

“What?” Hotch seemed startled by the question.

“How long have you been carrying this around?”

The older man blushed. “Since about the end of your first year on the team. When I started saying Haley was pushing me to invite you to dinner because she was worried about you, that was all me.”

“So, you’ve always lied to get your way.”

“No.” He shook his head.

“That night, when you invited me over but said Dora changed plans.” He watched the other man seem to sink into himself. His eyes narrowed. “That was a set-up, wasn’t it? You knew they were going out and you wanted me here. Alone.” Aaron’s eyes didn’t meet his. “I have to figure out if I can trust you after this.” With that, he grabbed his bag and left, leaving Aaron alone.


	9. Chapter 9

Sunday evening, Dora entered the nearly dark house, listening for any sound of movement. “Hello?” She tried, making her way through, noticing the low light on over the stove, casting a backlight on her boss hunched at the table. “Aaron?” He wasn’t moving, a glass wrapped in his hands. “Aaron, are you all right?”

He didn’t move as his voice softly rumbled. “I’m sorry for what I did. Nothing about this will risk you job caring for Jack from my end. He adores you and no matter how inappropriately I’ve acted; I wouldn’t do that to you.”

She frowned. “Have you been drinking?”

“I… I’m sober now.” She saw him work his jaw. “If you would rather have your own apartment from here on out, just let me know how much and I’ll pay for it.”

“Why?”

“I’m sure I have made you uncomfortable.”

The sound that escaped her mouth was laced with incredulity. “You interrupted my boyfriend and I having relations and then proceeded to kiss him. Yes, you could say uncomfortable was in there somewhere.” She waited a beat. “Aaron, look at me.” Eventually he complied. “I saw the whole thing, the way you were looking at him, the way you kissed him.” She sighed as he looked away again. “I know Spencer’s angry and he feels betrayed. _I_ feel betrayed. But… Maybe it has something to do with this job, but I’ve always been a bit the mediator, granted usually between children, but anyway… I could see how much you love him and how much it hurt you.”

“I don’t know how to fix what I’ve done.”

“Regret is a rough thing to survive, but it can be done.”

“Yeah.”

==

Spencer was curled around Dora on his couch later that night. “I don’t want to give up the career I love because of him.”

“So, don’t.”

“I can’t help but wonder if he’ll have my back.”

“Tell me, and understand that I don’t actually know the answer here, but you’ve seen him work with agents and officers he didn’t like before, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“And when the chips are down? How does he treat them?”

“He has their back.” His mind wandered a moment. “His ex-wife, before she was his ex, she was cheating on him. He knew it. He told me one night while we were away working. He confided in me about being suspicious and then looking into it, getting his confirmation.”

When he was silent for several minutes, she prodded. “And?”

“He stayed with her. She’s the one who instigated the divorce, he would have stayed with her. Even once they were separated, he was faithful and then when…when they were divorced, and everything happened… he protected her. He tried to give his own life for her.” He ducked his head. “We saw him hold her lifeless body and mourn her, he mourned her for a long time.”

“So… What do you think?”

“He said he thought he loved me.” He huffed. “What do I even do with that?”

“I get the impression that he’s one of those men who loves completely.” When he gave her a strange look, she continued. “Set your boundaries, don’t feel pressured. My contract for this year is almost up, I just have another bit left. Generally international arrangements are only for a year because of the paperwork between countries, but it can be extended another year I think.”

“And then you’ll go back?”

Dora nodded. “I’m sorry, Love. This is why I don’t usually date anyone while I’m working for a family. My life changes eventually and I’m off again.”

“Yeah.” He tried to put that reminder out of his mind as he pulled her closer, as if holding her there would keep her from leaving.


	10. Chapter 10

Dora carried on caring for Jack as if nothing that weekend had happened. Aaron was stiff, stilted, now around her, but he was true to his word and very carefully never let his feelings affect her working environment. Spencer didn’t come to her anymore, she always went to him, and the last second interruptions that she hadn’t even noticed happening, stopped. They were able to have evenings and days off together, though he seemed more easily distracted.

It took Spencer a few days, but he had to concede eventually to Dora’s point, Hotch had his back no matter what, the older man wouldn’t let anything between them flow into their on-duty hours. They still kept well enough apart in the off time, however, neither one knowing how to broach the subject in a way that wouldn’t lead to confrontation.

It was a problem he was able to avoid until the normal rotation for prison interviews came around to them again. When Hotch called him into his office, Spencer wondered exactly how they would play it.

“We have to travel to USP Marion to interview these two inmates.” He passed across the two folders and waited as Reid scanned them over.

“You and I are going?”

“That is part of this job.”

“I- I know, but…” His face did a dance as he thought. “But, you and I?”

Hotch ducked his head, chewing the inside of his lower lip a moment. “We could switch, but the team knows how the rotation goes, we’d have to have a very convincing reason.” As Spencer considered the truth of that, he carried on. “I was hoping that we could take this trip as a time to… settle things perhaps?”

It took Spencer by surprise that his boss would bring it up here. “What are you thinking?”

Hotch wasn’t sure how his suggestion was going to be taken. “I was thinking we could drive.”

His features did another dance. “That’s like a thirteen-hour drive.”

“I know.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“No.” He caught the started look on Reid’s face. “But I think we need it.”

Spencer nodded. “When do we leave?”

“I- I was thinking we could head out at five tomorrow morning, that would give us plenty of time for stops and still not get us in too late.” He watched as Spencer nodded again and stood to leave. “If- if you wanted?”

Spencer turned, waited until Hotch continued.

“If it would be easier, you could stay with Dora, so you don’t have to get up so early.” He gave the younger man a hopeful look.

“I’ll talk to her.”

==

Dora nervously double checked the lock on her bedroom door before turning, seeing the soft smile on Spencer’s face. “Sorry, a bit paranoid perhaps.”

“I understand.” He held out his hands, inviting her to join him on the bed. “You haven’t said anything and, I kind of have to ask.”

“What?”

“Your contract, has he said anything about renewing it?”

Dora sighed. “He hasn’t, and I’ve been afraid to ask. I’d love to stay on and look after Jack, I think he needs that stability right now, but he will start school in the fall full time and often once that happens, my services are no longer needed.”

“Oh. But school is still a few months away.”

“I could get a partial contract and perhaps get assigned the rest of the year if there is another family in need. Otherwise, I go home and enjoy some down time before the agency calls again.” She nudged his side with her shoulder. “That’s all a thought for tomorrow, I think there are better things we could be doing tonight.”

==

Four came much too early for Spencer’s liking. He stumbled around the room, failing miserably at keeping quiet as he tried to get himself ready. Once he was set, he placed a kiss to Dora’s lips before opening the bedroom door and being greeted by the smell of coffee. “Blessed caffeine.” He sighed, making her giggle from behind him.

“There’s some breakfast sandwiches already made up in the fridge.” She responded.

“Oo!” He rushed to the kitchen, focused on his prize so much that he failed to take note of someone else also reaching for the same thing until they bumped into one another in the darkness. “Sorry.”

Hotch put out a hand to steady him. “It’s okay.” They poured their drinks silently. “Ready?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

==

The first hour of the drive was filled mostly with silence. It was much too early in Spencer’s book and Hotch knew from much experience that unnecessary attempts at interaction so early in the morning would only be met with unpleasant responses. So he drove, settling into the task of driving and letting his mind wander over a variety of things.

Somewhere around Roanoke, Spencer straightened up in his seat. “If you want me to drive some of this, just let me know.”

“I’m fine.” Hotch replied a bit to quickly, realizing it sounded much sharper than he’d meant. “I’m sorry.” He drew a breath and let it out. “I’m fine for now, but I’ll let you know. Thank you.”

Spencer only nodded.

“I requested with the agency for Dora to stay through the middle of January. I think once Jack is in school full time, Jess and I can manage, but that will give us some time to work it out plus he’ll have a week off at Thanksgiving and two over Christmas and it would just be easier knowing childcare is already handled.”

Spencer’s face did a bit of a dance as he processed that. “Why are you telling me this?”

For several miles, the only visible sign that Aaron had even heard him was the way he gripped and released the steering wheel, a sure sign he was thinking. “I know I screwed up, what I did…. I can’t excuse that away. I know that at some point, Dora has to go back home, I won’t need someone full time once Jack is in school, but I was hoping that maybe it would make things a bit easier. Another few months.”

They lapsed into silence again, Reid eventually pulled out a book and read through it before putting it away again. Just after they crossed into Tennessee, he finally brought it up. “Explain it to me.”

Aaron glanced at him, confused for a moment. “Explain what?”

“You said you realized you were attracted to me after I’d been on the team a year. Explain what happened that seemed to change then.”

“Oh.” He thought back. He hadn’t really taken notice of the younger man in the early months, Gideon had been pretty central in Reid’s training at the beginning, but as they’d come up on the first anniversary of Reid as an agent, Gideon had vanished for several weeks with the CIA, leaving his protégé to his own devices. “I don’t know if you remember.” He started, glancing over in time to see the younger man arch a brow at him. “Jason was off playing spook and you were in the bullpen with Morgan and the other guys who worked down there at the time. I don’t even know what you all had been doing, but there had been a lot of noise and I’d got up and gone to my doorway to see just as you tossed your head back and gave this laugh that just… You lit up. I think it was the first time I’d seen you smile like that and…”

Spencer waited; he did remember that day. The rest of the agents had been pranking one another but they all left him alone for whatever reason. Spencer’d seen the opportunity to join in and had surprised three at once with boobytrapped desk drawers. “I think it was the first time I’d felt brave enough to join in on what they were doing.”

“I realized I wanted to see you smile like that again. That I wanted you to smile at me like that. It was a bit of an earth-shattering moment for me, Haley and I had been trying for a baby for a couple years already and it wasn’t going well. For a time, I thought it was just because I was so worn down by the stress of it all that maybe my mind was just looking for anything that wasn’t focused on having a baby. I tried so hard to hide it.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered anyway; you never would have cheated on her.”

The corners of his mouth pulled down a bit. “Is it really any better that I only thought about it?” He glanced over again. “I would play out scenarios where I would get up the nerve to invite you out to dinner.”

“Is that when you started inviting me over to dinner instead?’

He let out a gust of breath. “Yeah.”

“You didn’t say anything after she left you. Or after the divorce. You never told me anything.”

“And if I had? If I’d come to you and asked you on a date, would you have said yes?”

“No.” He saw the way the other man sank. “You’re my _boss_ , Aaron, and that’s a line I wouldn’t just cross on a whim and you’re a father. I come from a broken home, I’ll always root for a good parent to have the opportunity to keep being a good parent and if there was even a chance of mending anything between you and Haley, I wouldn’t have gotten in the way of that.”

“She wouldn’t have gotten back with me.”

“But you deeply wanted to be back with her.” He gave Aaron a look when he looked over at him in surprise. “You still love her, and that’s okay. She was ready to be away from your job, but you would have done anything to get even a little of that life back and if she knew you were suddenly bedding your team member? Your _male_ team member?” He sighed. “I’m sure one of her biggest fears was that you were cheating on her while we travelled.”

“Yeah.”

“You wouldn’t have ever been able to convince her you hadn’t been sleeping around all along.”

“No.”

“And she never would have given you time with Jack once she discovered you were dating me.”

It’s was Aaron’s turn to sigh. “You’re right.”

“I always am.” He gave Aaron a smug grin.

“But… But now Haley’s gone. There is no getting back with her or even being friends with her. There is no custody or visitation or anything.”

“True. But you’re still my boss.”

“Dave could take over your paperwork.”

“Over his dead body or more fine liquor than you can afford, even on your salary. And you would still be my boss in the field.”

“Okay.”

“And you still love Haley. There is no timeline for healing from what you’ve been through and while it’s probably totally healthy to have some rebound relationships to help with that person, I’m not about to be the token gay experience in that process.”

“Okay.”

“Not to mention I’m in a relationship.”

“Yeah.”

“And you need to focus every minute you can right now on spending time with Jack.”

“Yeah.”

“And aside from the fact that you’re a really good kisser, I don’t think we would be compatible in the long term. You’re far too rigid and you conform to very traditional views of how things are or should be and then there’s the who major jealousy issues thing. The last thing I need is to have you going all brainless caveman over something like I’m some sort of possession to be fought over and horded. “

“You think I am a good kisser?”

“That’s all you heard out of that, wasn’t it?”

Hotch felt himself blush.

==

The next time they stopped, it was mid-afternoon. The first thing Spencer did once he’d climbed out of the car was stretch his long frame as much as he could. From this point, it was only a few more hours to their destination, but they had needed gas and both wanted something to eat that didn’t come from a drive-thru.

Hotch watched the way Reid moved and bounced, trying to work out some of the excess energy from spending a day pent up in the SUV. “There’s a sidewalk.”

“Huh?”

He pointed toward the road. “You could take a jog, burn some energy.”

“I don’t jog.”

“I could come with you.”

He gave him an incredulous look. “I’ll be fine till we get to the hotel. Right now, I’m famished.”

==

Spencer guided the SUV into the parking lot of the hotel. “This isn’t too bad.”

Aaron looked at the building. “No, it’s definitely not the worst we’ve had.”

“How many times has Rossi complained about that motel he and JJ ended up in out in Wyoming?”

He laughed. “I’ve lost count.”

“JJ said he insisted they share a room and he barely slept at all.”

“He did sleep a bit, in a chair against the door.”

Spencer chuckled.

“You know what we should do?” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Come here.” He motioned Spencer to join him by the SUV as he pulled out his phone. Once they were side by side, he took a picture of them with the hotel in the background.

“Are you sending that to him?”

Aaron smirked. “Why not?”

==

It wasn’t until they were crossing the state line back out of Illinois two days later, that Hotch brought it up again. “What if…”

When he didn’t continue, Spencer asked. “What if, what?”

“What if… What if I dated. What if I went out and really tried, women and men? What if I made an effort and I still had these feelings for you?”

“I’m still with Dora.”

“Okay. What if there comes a time when you are single again and I have made an effort and I still have all these feelings for you?”

“Look, Hotch.”

“Aaron. Please. Whatever this ends up as between us, even if it never gets back to more than professional colleagues, I think at this point you should feel comfortable calling me Aaron.”

Spencer pursed his lips together a moment. “Aaron. If you had come to me, been honest with me, at literally any point in time since you realized you had feelings for me, there could have been a future chance of us maybe. Maybe not when Haley was alive. I can see now how what we were doing before, how it could feel almost like dating and I’m sorry, I didn’t realize at the time and if you were taking it as such… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on like that if I was.” He swallowed, considering his words carefully. “But you didn’t do any of that. What you did was… so wrong. I can forgive you and I can have the same unwavering professional trust and faith in you that I always have, but… I can’t just forget it ever happened.”

Aaron’s voice was choked as he replied. “I understand.”

After that, the conversation in the car was reduced to only the basic necessities for travel.


	11. Chapter 11

Dora was waiting with dinner when the pair finally returned. “I can have plates made up in just a moment.” She spoke to both of them as she moved to peck her boyfriend on the lips.

“Don’t worry about me, I think I’m going to just shower and go to bed, it was a long drive and a busy few days.” Aaron moved toward the stairs. “Spencer.” He turned back. “Will you be here in the morning?”

He glanced to Dora and then back to Hotch and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

Hotch nodded. “I’m going to put in the system that neither of us will be in until after lunch. A half day to reset should be plenty.”

“Yeah.” He watched his boss vanish silently up the stairs, bags in hand, before turning back to Dora. “Dinner?”

“Right. I made fish and chips.” She led him into the kitchen. “So.” She glanced back at the stairs. “How was the trip?”

“The interview went well. Sometimes the people we talk to, once they’re incarcerated, they become more human and we can get more information out of them.”

“Only sometimes?”

“Death row inmates are more reckless, more cocky anyway, but it wasn’t that kind of thing so it went well.”

“So, what’s with-” She gestured up the stairs with a wave of her hand.

“Oh. Perhaps a conversation better left for another day.”

“Or another place?”

“Or that.”

==

Spencer wrapped his arms around Dora as she stared out the window at the snow. It was Christmas Eve and she was spending a few days at his place instead of at the Hotchner home. “I’m both happy and sad you’re here.”

“Oh?”

“Well, I’m thrilled you’re here and that I get you for four uninterrupted days, but I’m sad because it means you’re flying back to England in two weeks.” He pressed a kiss near her ear.

“I know. It’s been lovely being here, but it is time for me to move on. I can’t just stay here without a job assignment.”

“Maybe I could come visit you? I always have vacation time; I give a lot of it away.”

Dora sighed, pulling her gaze away from the dusting of snow and the colored lights decorating buildings as she turned around. “It sounds lovely, really, but I think maybe we should make a clean break of things.”

He pulled back. “Oh, okay.”

“I’m sorry, Spencer, it’s just, international relationships are hard anyway, even harder with both people involved have jobs that can take them anywhere. Both of us love our jobs. We’re great here, together, but once we’re apart?”

“Yeah.”

“We can keep in touch, yeah? I mean, just because this is our lives now doesn’t mean it will always be.”

“Yeah. Who knows where we’ll be in five years.”


	12. Chapter 12

Five Years Later

==

The team scrambled out of their SUVs and to the command post.

“The suspect has tied up and killed three prominent families in Florida already and we haven’t been able to figure out who he was. He misjudged on family number four and has hostages inside.” The sheriff, Nolan, rattled off as he met up to the team and then led them to the tents. “We think he must have only started stalking this family in the last two months.”

“Why do you think that?” Rossi asked.

“A bit over that, the mother had a temporary job taking her overseas, so the family hired a live-in nanny to take the kids to and from school, maintain the home, everything. From a distance, the nanny and the mother have similar features. The father, Mister Lawson, had been concerned after the other attacks and provided the nanny with a panic button to wear, he then alerted police when she didn’t then answer her phone.”

“So, who’s inside?” Hotch moved in.

“Nanny and three of the kids. Mister Lawson is taking his private plane back up from Puerto Rico now, he should be here any minute. We’ve established that the oldest child, Devon, who is sixteen was at tennis practice and he’s been taken into protective custody just in case there was a partner.”

“It’s unlikely there’s a partner, unsubs like this generally think they’re smarter that everyone else, that they’ll get away with it because no one lives to tell on him and there’s no partner to rat him out.” Spencer accepted the vest when JJ passed it to him. “We have all the exits covered?”

“Yes. There are three ground level rear doors plus two balconies, two side exits and then the front and the garage doors.”

“Floorplan of the house?”

“Here.” He handed Reid a blueprint, who rolled it out on a table and began looking.

“And there’s no sight of any of them?”

“No.”

“There looks to be an office in the center of the house, it has thicker walls, I think it’s meant for during a hurricane? Hey Morgan?”

“Yeah.”

“This notation here.” He pointed.

“Yeah, those are block walls.” Morgan confirmed.

“I would bet he’s in there, I bet it’s equipped for being trapped inside for at least a day, if it’s stocked, then long enough to ride out a hurricane.”

“So, we have to wait him out?” Nolan asked.

“No.” Hotch jumped in again. “By now he knows we’re out here, we need to get him talking.”

Nolan nodded. “I think my men had gotten a line in.”

==

Six grueling hours, but in the end, no one had died, so the team considered it a win. Two of the children had been shot by their unsub, one Billy Miller, but their injuries were not life threatening. When the team breached the house at the sound of gunshots, they’d followed Reid’s plan and had cleared the house quickly as they closed in on the office, taking both doors at once to split Miller’s attention. It did risk crossfire injuries, but the hope was to reduce the chances of hitting a hostage in the process, and they’d been right. The hostages had been on the opposite side of the room.

Spencer followed JJ and Emily to check on the kids while Morgan and Hotch manhandled Miller and Rossi finished with the locals. He was looking over the youngest and least injured boy when someone gasped. “What? Are you hurt?” He started to look up. Maybe the nanny wasn’t okay after all.

“Spencer.”

Suddenly he was being knocked back with the force of the hug being tossed at him. “Woah!” He tried to keep balance.

She pulled back.

“Dora?” Surprise laced his voice.

“I’ve spent all day praying you would somehow just know and turn up.”

The room quieted as Miller and the kids were taken away to be cared for. Nolan took that moment to enter as Hotch joined them. “Wait, you know him?” Nolan asked Dora.

“Them, actually.”

“She was my nanny for about eighteen months a number of years ago.” Hotch stepped up and shook her hand. “Dora, good to see you.”

“And you, I just wish it hadn’t been in other circumstances.” She looked around at them. “None of you seem to be hurt this time at least.” She tried for a smile to hide how she was beginning to tremble as the aftereffects of the entire day began to bleed off.

Emily took her arm. “Let’s get you out of here and sat down somewhere.” She then added with a smirk. “And we’re not home yet, there’s still time for Bambi Legs there to trip trying to get on the jet and sprain something.”

Dora asked ‘bambi legs?’ just as Spencer indignantly shouted ‘hey!’

The team began to file out of the house, but at the doorway, Hotch tugged Reid’s sleeve to get his attention.

“Yeah?” He turned back to his boss.

“I- I hadn’t really thought about how much time has passed until today. I was… I ‘m not asking…” He sighed and shook his head. “I should have waited until we were back at the hotel.” He began to walk out.

“Wait. Aaron.” His use of the older man’s first name got his attention. “Whatever it is… I’m standing here listening.”

“I told you I would really put my best effort into getting out there and dating, getting past Haley and everything. I was just wondering….” A blush crept up his neck. “It sounds juvenile now that I think it in my head.”

“Aaron.” He urged.

“How do you think I’ve done?” He stared first at his own feet, then Spencer’s, then, eventually, his eyes met Reid’s.

He rocked back on his heels. “The short answer for now?”

Aaron nodded.

“I think you’re doing a lot better. You’re happier than you have been in a long time.” He studied him a moment. “And you?”

“And me, what?”

“Back then, your feelings for me. Do you think they’re still there?”

Hotch took a deep breath and let it out slowly after a minute. “I think it’s still there. But I think I’ve found a place where I can make peace with it.”

“You two coming?” Rossi shouted from the SUVs.

Both men smiled. “Ready to go?” Hotch asked.

Reid looked around a minute. “You know, I have some time on the books, I might spend an extra day or two in Florida.” He smiled when he caught Hotch’s eyes darting to where Dora sat before coming back to him. “She’s been through something traumatic, might need a shoulder.”

“Of course.” He patted his shoulder. As he watched Spencer lope across the lawn, he started his own walk toward the team as he thought. Yes, he still loved Spencer, he could easily fall _in_ love with him again, but somewhere along the years, he’d found a way to live with that feeling and still move on. The pang of seeing Spencer and Dora together again didn’t hurt quite as bad as it used to, it was more of a dull ache, the kind you didn’t notice until you stopped and thought about it.

“Stop thinking.” Rossi ordered as Hotch approached.

The oddly appropriate random statement from his best friend, the man who always seemed able to read his mind, made him smile as he climbed in the driver’s seat. “I’ll try.”


End file.
